nitad3

Online shouldn't be a problem at all. Contact the schools you're interested in and their admissions team will be more than happy to explain to you the application process and fees etc 😊. 

As others mentioned, you may have to pay a little more than the state residents as you'll be considered an out of state student. However, this isn't always the case. I've applied for an online masters at a university in Michigan and they charge the same fee for in state and out of state. So, what I mean is, it is worth searching around, and you might find something which is really reasonable! 

On 5/9/2019 at 5:31 PM, Helenlc said:

I have officially graduated the @Greenbaum Class of March NVC 2019 👩‍🎓

 

Interview today and after a slightly stressful situation regarding my sons citizenship (apparently he has the right to be american by birth which we had to renounce or wait longer for that to process) we are APPROVED!!!!!  

 

We will be flying out on the 31st of May and will be getting married on the 19th of July!!! 

 

Thank you everyone for all the help and support and will now put my best cheerleader costume on to support all you guys 💕

 

Only just seen this! Congratulations!! 😊 Now just need to get your furry babies across and you're all set. 

On 5/9/2019 at 10:17 PM, Zoeeeeeee said:

Hey @nitad3!

 

I came to your page to message you to ask how the trip went and saw this post! Some great pointers, thank you very much!

 

Our cruise actually leaves on a Tuesday, so I’m hoping traffic is kind to us too (coming from the East Midlands).

 

Also loving the mention of vegan foods...I already told Cunard I’m vegan, so I just hope I get cake. I always really hope I get cake 😆😆.

 

Do they have plants milks and yogurt and stuff available?

 

So, your fiancé and your pup were off by 10am? I’ve booked our car hire from 12pm, so hope we can disembark a little later, or we’ll be loitering! 😆 Though I guess it’ll take me longer, cause I’ll have to have the POE interview...

 

How’s your dog settling in? Has he been swimming in the lake yet?

Hopefully it should be okay, just make sure to leave after the traffick dies down a little 😊

Yes, they had almond and soy milk, and alpro yoghurts and those chocolate puddings too, so there is definitely stuff to have for breakfast etc! Even at the buffets they're pretty accommodating, and will make side vegetables from scratch for you which are plain or with olive oil. 

I think they were off the ship by 9:30 and customs took maybe 10 minutes, it was all very quick! All they needed to see were their passports, and my dog's pet passport. I'm sure you can always go into the car rental office and pick up your car a little earlier, maybe even give them a call and find out! 😁

Yes, she's been settling in very well! She's swam twice so far, once the day after the cruise and then again right before my future in laws were about to come 😂. She loves her new vet and the doggie park nearby!! 

Your November date is also fast approaching, not long left!!! 

16 minutes ago, Jorgedig said:

Chest X-ray is NOT diagnostic for cancer.  If a mass is seen on the images, only a biopsy of the cells can establish the diagnosis.

I have never stated that CXR is a definitely diagnostic tool. If you read my comment you will see that I said that it is the only diagnostic tool that Knightsbridge could use to detect cancer (ie the only method to even lead them to belive that cancer could be present) There is a substantial difference in my wording. 

I think it is pretty obvious that a tissue biopsy is required to make a specific diagnosis, especially to determine the type of neoplasia which could be present. 😉 In the clinic, a single diagnostic tool is rarely used to make a sole diagnosis, commonly a range of different tests have to be used. 

Wishing you a good day 😊

I belive what you're asking about is what we could call an 'incidental finding or diagnosis' in the clinic. In case of any abnormal findings, I believe they are under the duty of care to inform you about any worrying findings and direct you to a GP practice. After all, they're still doctors who have sworn a Hippocrotical oath. 

The x ray is the only diagnostic tool here which could potentially provide any diagnosis such as cancer, and I'll explain why. 

If there is a presence of a mass in your lungs for example, this will come up as a 'shadow' on the CXR. On the other hand, if someone is suffering with TB, they will produce what we refer to as 'TB cavity' which commonly affects a specific region of the lungs. This will look completely different to a shadow that a mass has produced. 

In terms of the blood test, they can be used to diagnose a wide range of condition something very specific. The clinic uses a yellow tube (known as SST) which is very commonly used for bacterial and viral infections - and in this case syphilis. Whilst a number of tests could be done to analyse this sample, it would be quite time consuming and little more expensive. So, they just do the bare minimum instead of a full panel, which helps to keep the costs down and prevents them from having any unnecessary infromation too. 

Hope that makes things a little clearer, there is really nothing to worry about. The people at Knightsbridge are all very friendly, and if you would like to ask some questions they're all happy to answer them. However, if you have any health concerns speak to your GP. 

Hello, 

I've received the news that my fiancee and puppy have landed this morning in NYC via Cunard's Queen Mary II cruise ship. Initially, when we were purchasing the tickets there was a limited surplus of information regarding both the cruise as well as the kennels. Therefore, I thought that it might be a good idea to post a little review with some information that my fiancee gave me regarding the whole journey, in case anyone is in the same situation where they want to take the crossing and are uncertain about it. 

The cruise terminal is located just south of Southampton's city centre, and it was really simple for us to reach it from the Midlands (approximately 2 hours on a Sunday, I believe all cruises leave on Sundays so there shouldn't be a huge amount of traffic). Their check in time was 3 pm for a 6 pm departure. The departure hall resembles an airport terminal, it's pretty huge and can fit a good amount of people. There is a baggage check first - you have an unlimited number of bags you can take with you (as long as you can fit them in your room haha!), however, Cunard's ask that they are all 20kg and under for consideration of the porters who will take them up to your cabin. You will need to put luggage tags on them, you can either print those out at home and stable them or they are happy to do it for you at arrivals - we decided to have everything printed out to speed up the process. The whole process was apparently very smooth, and people who are travelling with dog have a boarding priority, embarking the ship after wheelchair users and other individuals who require extra time and assistance to get on board. 

Once on the cruise they were able to take the dogs up to the kennel and allow them to become familiar with their new temporary home. We decided to pack my dog's bed, food and water bowls and lots of toys to make sure she felt like she was a little more at home. My dog is a little shy, so she was a little nervous about sharing a space with 20 other dogs on the cruise, but after the first night she was just fine. 

The biggest issue initially was for the pups to go and use the toilet on the deck, however, once it has been used a few times all the other dogs knew that they could use it. We bought some puppy training pads with us as a back up, and it actually came useful for one of the other doggies who had a really issue with using the bathroom. I would say that this was the biggest drawback of the kennel, there wasn't really anywhere for them to go, just the deck which was hosed down a few times per day and cleaned off, but unfortunately, this didn't help to get rid of the unpleasant pee smell. I would suggest bringing something you can wipe down your dog's feet with and something to dry wash them with (we had some spray shampoo in a bottle) because they will smell awful after a few days... and so will your shoes!! 

The deck is also unfortunately pretty small, meaning that a big dog like my lab struggled to run around, it's just a narrow C shaped deck which wraps the kennel. I'd suggest bringing plenty of toys and other fun stuff for them to play with to tire them out. 

The kennel staff were all really helpful and great with the dogs, they offered plenty of advice, going above and beyond to ensure that yourself and your dog will have a pleasant experience My fiance aid he connot fault them at all! 

Visiting time for dog are 8-10am, 11-12, 3-6pm and 8-8:30 pm, so you have plenty of time to go and do some stuff on the ship. However, my fiancee found that the cruise was definitely aimed at a slightly older demographic, so he struggled to find things to do. He enjoyed the planetarium (he ended up going 3 times!), the gym which was open 6am-8pm and the indoor swimming pool (it's unfortunate that the crossing was during such a cool time of the year, he was forced to only use the indoor pool, because it was far too cold to use the 4 other outside pools). The dinner venue and buffet were both very accommodating and served a large range of foods, he is lactose intolerant so it's always a struggle to find things which are not contaminated with some hidden dairy (but there were plenty of vegan options so yay!).  There are also other restaurants which you can pay for, but he didn't try any of those out. 

The ship arrived into Brooklyn in NYC around 6am, but it took them 2 hours before they could disembark the ship. Important to note, for a strange reason many of the major roads in Brooklyn were blocked off due to the arival of the cruise, so there is a possibility that you might have to walk a couple of blocks to catch an uber to your destination or one of the car rental offices (like my fiance had to do), so keep that in mind! There are a few car rental places nearby, he decided to go with Avis, and there was nothing wrong it was all smooth sailing!. 

I have included a few pictures of my pup because dog pictures make everything better, right? If anyone has any questions regarding the cruise, myself or my fiancee would be happy to answer them, hope this is useful for someone, because I wish there was a little more info regarding the cruise and its kennel when we were making our plans. 😃

21 hours ago, Emeryx said:

I want to try and apply for school now i have my green card and i can finally work etc. I'm not sure how it works or if i can apply for school. I'm 27 and i have no proof of my education from school and my grades i got from school and i'm pretty sure my school doesn't have any of that either, is this needed to apply for school in the US? I'm clueless as to how it works and what i would need to apply. Anybody help with some info??

 

TIA

Hi, 

I'm in a slightly different situation because I'm applying for grad school, but I contacted a few community colleges as another option too, so maybe I can help with some questions you have. 

What I would suggest is looking up your local community colleges and simply calling up the admissions team. They're all usually pretty knowledgeable, and helpful in terms of letting you know what are their requirements, fees etc. It might also be helpful if you know roughly what you'd like to do, that way they can advise you what the best course of action is.

I also see that you're in Michigan, its where I'm moving in the summer too! 

Another option which might be suitable for you, that I learn from admissions at Michigan State University - they have a lifelong education programme. This allows you to take undergrad classes without being enrolled onto the course (so little entrance requirements), these accumulate you University credits, which you can then use if you do well to transfer onto one of the actual undergraduate programmes. I thought it was a great idea especially for those who might not quite meet the entrance criteria but wish to pursue higher education. 

Here's the link if you're interested: https://reg.msu.edu/roinfo/enrreg/lifelongeducation.aspx

Just dropped my my fiancée and dog in Southampton for their cruise to New York. Have my medical tomorrow and interview booked for 17th of May. Everything feels like it's s moving at the speed of lightening!!! 

13 hours ago, Helenlc said:

Just back from the medical.... gosh what a long day but all completed... even if i did get told of by the chest x-ray lady for not being able to take out the dermal piecing. Was really smooth process but just the time waiting for all the bits. 

 

But one step closer! 

Glad it went well for you! I have mine in 3 days, so I'm super nervous. Any last minute tips? 

18 hours ago, Julia & Matt said:

we are approved!!!!!! 

Congratulations guys! The worst hurdle is now behind you, the rest of the journey is definitely more smooth sailing. 

Wish you all the best with the rest of the process! 😊

You can now join this page to see what you need to do next:

9 hours ago, Zoeeeeeee said:

I actually found out an hour or so ago that our NOA2 was approved yesterday! 🙌🏻🙌🏻

 

Aiming to do the medical in late July/early August - and the interview on 11th September ideally. 

 

17th May should give you plenty of time - and because your dog will already be out there, you’ll easily be able to get a flight soon after receiving your visa 😍.

 

Re tiring out, there’s an ok sized off lead area, from what I can tell from pics...I think I’m also going to give Gunner valerian compound each day - it’s a herbal medicine that I gave him when he flew - it’s recommended for reducing stress of fireworks/travel in dogs - and he was very chilled for his flight (a little stoned if I’m honest 😆)...

 

Oh my god, I can’t wait for the family portrait with the pet photographer 😍😆😍😆

That's fantastic!! Congratulations to you guys!! The hardest part is now over, and you can begin to get the ball rolling 😊

Sounds like you have a pretty good time frame, hopefully smooth sailing from now on. 

I'm hoping just for that!😍 I'll be missing her terribly,  but I know my fiancée will take good care of her and she really adores him. Plus we live on a lake and she a lab, so she'll most likely never leave the water 😂🤣

We've been trying to sort out everything for my dog across there, veterinarian etc. So we're almost all set, just needs a final visit with her vet here to get her rabies (she's been given the vaccine and there is proof in dog passport, but not an offfical letter) and health ceritifcate. We've also realised that in Michigan you need to register your dog with the county, and that also requires an additional certificate. Not sure if that's applicable for California, but might be worth a look if you haven't already. 

Oooh I might have to look into that, my vet did suggest giving her something for the stress for the first few days. But, I presumed out only option was a very mild sedative. Now that you mentioned that, I'll definitely talk to him and find out our optionst! Thank you so much for that 😊

Are you guys planning that too? We want to have a little fmaily shoot post wedding with our pup too 🤣 I thought it would be sweet to have some pictures for the future 

3 hours ago, Zoeeeeeee said:

Yeah, we’re hoping it won’t be super-icy - we’ve planned to take the southern route so will hopefully avoid the worst!

 

I think there are 8 hours of visiting time to the kennels per day, so I definitely plan to be there for all of that, tiring the old bear out 😍. But we will definitely have some fun in the evenings, going to the OAP ballroom dancing sessions etc 😆.

 

Me too! For the last 12 months or so, I’ve basically left the full contents of my case there when visiting...so I hope I won’t have too much stuff...unfortunately, I’m kind of a hoarder 😫.

 

June would be great, you’d only be separate from your pup for a short while 😍. When’s your interview?

My fiancée is also on a strict puppy duty during the cruise 😂 but I'm glad that they're so accommodating with the times to visit - definitely need to get my dog tied for the night! 

Ballroom dancing, fancy dinner and a professional photographer too, you'll almost have a pre-honeymoon🤣

I've just booked it today, it's on 17th of May, so hopefully everything works out!! 

How's your visa progress so far? Are you still waiting for your Noa2? 

17 minutes ago, Ella and James said:

 

You potentially could attend the medical before your interview is scheduled, I'm not sure if it is recommended. But, its also unlikely that you'll be able to book it so soon that the medical results would arrive before your petition.

For example, when I booked my medical the first date available was 23rd of April, if I chose this and attended the medical, it would take another 5-10 working days to get transferred to the embassy. In this time frame you're likely to be informed that your case has left NVC and that your paperwork will reach the embassy around the same time or prior to the medical. 

I planned my medical and interview with some leeway between each step, because you never know if you might be delayed at any stage. I booked my interview for a date that was almost a month away from when I received my case number. And my interview another 2 weeks after the medical. 

Remember that your medical is only valid for 6 months, so be careful when choosing your dates in case something does hold up your petition. 😊

3 minutes ago, Ella and James said:

When you booked a medical exam appointment and an interview appointment, what was the availability like for each?  

I booked my medical 2 weeks ago so that might be a little outdated, but there was plenty of availability for end of April and May. Nonetheless, there are lots of appointments at Knightsbridge 😊

As for London embassy (for the interview), there is also lots of availability. These are the dates that were available when I booked my interview today:

5 minutes ago, Ella and James said:

I don't have a case number yet, so do I have to wait until then to use it? Do you think that if I call the NVC once a day that will be excessive?

Yes, you'll have to wait for your case number to be assigned unfortunately. Once you have it, you're good to try the website. 

From other people's experiences and my own, things change very quickly at NVC, so you can in theory call everyday. But it will not speed the proceed up. I'd say call as many times as you deem appropriate and how much time you can spare in the week! 

3 minutes ago, Ella and James said:

Where can I find the website which will show me the NVC status?

https://ceac.state.gov/ceac/

Under 'Immigrant' select 'Check my visa application status' 😊

4 hours ago, Zoeeeeeee said:

Oh bless, that’s fab that your dad is taking him for you!

 

Yep, Herschell is flying over a couple of days before, so we can do the cruise and then the week of driving from NY to LA together. The cruise is totally aimed at the over 60 market though, so it’s going to be a bit bizarre I think 🤔!

 

Yeah, I’m pleased about the baggage allowance - I’ve already warned Herschell that there will be no floor space cause I’m filling the cabin with bags! 😆 Though I do have to then fit the bags in the car in NY so guess I can’t go too crazy 😜.

 

When do you think you’ll be moving over? 

Sounds like you guys will have a road trip of a lifetime! Hopefully the weather on East Coast won't be terrible just yet - this year November was pretty mild in midwest and east coast up until January! I look forward to hearing about the road tiro you guys are going to have 😊

I'll let you know what their experience is like, but from the sounds of it, there is lots to do when not looking after the dog haha. 

Hahaha, I've been trying to move my stuff across with every trip, so I'm hoping I don't have to dump too much on therm for the cruise 😂

Aiming for first week of June, but anytime in June would be great! So fingers crossed. 

32 minutes ago, Damonlee said:

Congrats guys! Mine changed to in transit too! Such a great feeling! We are all almost there!

Thank you so much, and congratulations to you as well! I'm so excited for your guys, it's been such a long journey thus far - I can't wait to finally reach the big milestone 😊

Hoping for a smooth medical and interview for you! I'll keep an eye out for any updates!!! 

1 minute ago, KirstyMcDonald said:

I have one this Thursday and then may 10 and 15! When are yours?

That's so soon! Best of luck! 

I have 7 in total total, first one 30th April and last one 20th May 🤯

2 minutes ago, KirstyMcDonald said:

Exactly the same for me 🙈🙈

It's such a struggle right now haha! When are your finals? 

4 minutes ago, Sarge2155 said:

It's still early still got the whole day left to show up keep checking!!!!!!

I've been doing just that! Makes it hard to focus on revision for my final exams 🤣

1 minute ago, FaithProfessoR said:

Mine still says at NVC...😓😕

Same here, I guess we just have to wait and see if anything changes tomorrow! This is the home stretch, keep positive 😊

1 minute ago, fluffykim said:

when are they shipped out?  only 1x a month?

I think they're shipped every 2 weeks. So after today and tomorrow, the next shipment will be 30th April/1st May, if I understood correctly 😊

3 hours ago, Zoeeeeeee said:

Tell me about it! I booked in summer last year for the first available one they had (19th November 2019)...your fiancée must’ve grabbed a cancellation! 🙃

 

To be honest, November hasn’t worked out too badly though, as we were delayed in submitting our K1 application 🙃.

 

Are you going on the cruise too? I originally booked it just for myself and my dog, but found out it was only an extra £50 to add my fiancée too (because I was paying for a 2 person cabin already).

I'm glad it all worked out for you, at least it makes it a little less stressful, knowing that you have plenty of time between each stage. The great thing about the cruise is that toy have no bag or bag weight limit, makes it so much easier for you to take your stuff across! 😊

Unfortunately no, I have my first exam on 30th of April until 20th of May. However, he's being accompanied by my dad, so they're having a boys week on the cruise. 😂I'll be joining both my fiancée and my dog as a soon as I can! 

I'm presuming that your fiancée is coming with you and your pup on the cruise?